An Evening in the Sky!

An evening in the sky, (the 32 floor feels like you are in the sky!) overlooking Union Square, in a sparkling San Francisco at Christmas time..what could be better!?

Victor's Palace, as it might be set up for a wedding ceremony

It was a delightful gift to be one of the wedding planners attending the Unveiling of the Imperial Floor at the Westin St. Francis this week! A special bonus for me, was having time with my good friend David Beahm, who flew out from New York to be a part of the celebration.

I met David for the first time last March, when he taught at Wedding 360; we forged a strong friendship at that time which has lasted across the miles and months.

David spoke briefly at the beginning of the evening activities directly to planners and designers like himself. He wanted to remind us that our most important gift to our clients is good service and sincere caring. He emphasized that what we give always comes back to us a hundred fold. The Golden Rule is his basis for life and creative work: Do unto others as you would have them do unto you, and Life is Golden! This is loving advice we can put into practice every moment of every day...Thank you, David!

For a visual feast of photos and a superbly written description of this Night in the Sky, please click on Stacie Tamaki's blog entry from the Flirty Guide

Ellie Platis, Bill Hedgepeth, Director of Catering at the Westin St. Francis, who planned this event, David Beahm, and me during the reception in Alexandra's, the other part of the Imperial Suite.

Fun with Wedding Colleagues

Recently I re-connected with wedding colleagues whom I have not seen for months! We have all been intensely focused on our wedding clients, seeking to serve them well during the busy months between March and November; but as our wedding season ends, we find ways to get together again, and networking events like BAWN create opportunities for those of us who work together on weddings during the year, to play together!

This was the amazing sunset greeting Kathleen Kirkpatrick, Elisheva Basseri, Elisheva's intern, Amanda and me as we arrived at the Craneway Pavilion for the BAWN event. We were a bit early for the party, but right on time for this gift of glorious sunset color. It was equally a treat to just stand and enjoy the beauty, instead of glancing at such grandeur, and pushing on with my agenda, as I have been doing most of this Summer and Fall during my wedding season.

Amanda, Elisheva's new intern, Elisheva Basseri, Kathleen Kirkpatrick

Kathleen Kirkpatrick I have known since I began my business in 2005; I worked with her on a wedding when she was venue manager at the San Jose Museum of Art, and we have continued to work together on weddings now that she is the site manager at beautiful Villa Montalvo in Saratoga. My friendship with Kathleen has grown as we tgether attend networking events where we can get to know each other away from the busy pace of wedding days. Thank you so much for driving all the way from San Jose to Craneway for BAWN, Kathleen!

Elisheva and I have been friends since we first met at a networking event over 6 years ago. We have kept in touch and worked alongside each other when she was catering manager at 2 Bay Area wedding venues, and now, as she has launched her own wedding planning business. As is the case for so many of my friends in the industry, we respect each others work, and enjoy each others company, so it is a win win for our clients and for us when we can work together!


Catherine Hall is someone Elisheva introduced me to at a networking event about 3 years ago; since then Catherine and I have become close friends, great fans of each other's work, and comrades in many ways.

Let the party begin!

Gustavo Fernandez and Natasha Miller, both fantastic dancers and entertainers!

Gustavo using my camera to capture us on the dance floor!

Between dances, Elle, Jean and Catherine; quite the trio!

Loved having a chance to move on the dance floor with Michelle Walker and Anna Williams.

There are many wonderful benefits of working hard with talented, dedicated professionals throughout the year--strong friendships that are based on mutual respect and a wonderful sense of play and celebration, when the time is right. Stay tuned for more episodes of "Jean is on the Loose Again", or "Fun with Friends, December, 2010"!

Elegance at the Bently Reserve

It was a treat to get out this week in support of my good friends Bev Yip and

Michelle Barrionnuevo-Mazzini, in their fourth year of Promises and Pearls, an upscale wedding event enjoyed by both engaged couples and wedding vendors. Thank you for all the hard work, Bev and MB!

I had a great time with Bev Yip, Especially Yours Chair Covers., Elisheva Basseri, A Bride's Best Friend, and Kristine Tobin, of Palo Alto Sheraton Hotel

The Bently Reserve was elaborately decorated by Hartmann Studios,

Enhanced Lighting, and Asiel Designs, among other vendors.

Mary Phan, Very Merry Events, Elisheva and Kristina enjoying the ambiance at Promises and Pearls

Asiel Design created some amazing tablescapes (above and below) to give us all inspiration for the weddings ahead this year!

Chantal, owner of Nouvelle Vogue, poses with Elisheva, near the booth where Chantal and her partner, Saida, displayed several of the designer wedding gowns available in their San Mateo Bridal Salon.

The San Francisco Bay Area is a wonderful place to be a wedding professional! Each time I go to an event like this I am reminded of the vast amount of creativity, energy, and enthusiasm spread among the artists and vendors with whom I have become friends. I am proud to be a part of this dedicated group!

Time for friends, Le Papillon

This week one of my favorite caterers, Le Papillon, generously invited over 80 Wedding Professionals who know and love the owner, Mike Mashayekh, to have lunch in his beautiful restaurant in San Jose. The food and service were amazing, as always; the time away from the office, a much needed treat after the intense work for The Wedding University this weekend; and the indescribable joy of reconnecting with wedding industry friends, a balm to a tired planner!

Tanja Lippert and I have been friends since she and her husband Ryan first moved their photography business to the Los Gatos area, about 5 years ago.

Michelle Barrionuevo-Mazzini, Tanja, and Augie Chang...all beloved friends and respected colleagues.

Linda Hylen, venue manager at Julia Morgan Ballroom, and my partner, Jubilee Lau...Linda has been our 'mentor' as we developed our vision for Wedding 360 over the last year and a half. We love Linda!

One of the 4 courses presented in elegant style during the 3 hour luncheon...you really spoiled us, Mike, and we loved it!

Pampered Girls

As I mentioned in my last post, Jubilee and I are out and about more now, enjoying the company of friends in the wedding industry we have missed while launching our new business, Wedding 360; today, thanks to the warmth and generosity of our friend Nancy Liu Chin, we were a part of a lucky group of Pampered Girls!
Nance greeted us with glasses of Proseco, delectable pastries, and the relaxing gift of manicure/pedicures at The Pampered Girl, a boutique nail spa in San Francisco.

Jubilee, me, Michelle Barrionuevo-Mazzini, of MB Wedding Design, Heidi of Gertrude and Mable, Anna Spraungel, of McCalls Catering, Bev Yip, of Especially Yours Chair Covers, Nancy, of Nancy Liu Chin Designs, and Sonya Hong, of Butterfly Cakes.

Each business owner in this group of pampered girls had a very busy 2009 wedding season, often working alongside the delightful Nancy Liu Chin. It is a gift to have made such close friendships with my colleagues in the Wedding Industry.

Thank you Nancy for the pampering and the friendship!
I am already thinking of ways to create another "excuse" to make a date at The Pampered Girl!

Cheers!

Breakfast at the Four Seasons!

On Sunday, The Four Seasons San Francisco hosted a delightful brunch, in their Presidential Suite, for several SF Bay area wedding planners, as a prelude to their 7th Annual San Francisco Wedding Fair, which we all attended later as guests of the Four Seasons. Jubilee Lau and I have been looking forward to this event for months...we seldom see our good friends Stacie Hallinan and David Robinson, Wedding Specialists at the Four Seasons, but we always know this January event will get us together!

We were welcomed by a gourmet presentation of fruits, pastries, mini quiches, crab and shrimp cocktails accompanied by Domaine Chandon Mimosas..what a way to start the day!

During the brunch, Jubilee and I were able to reconnect with many other close friends from the wedding industry, including the amazing Duncan Reyes; working on our new Wedding 360 business has kept Jubilee and me "out of circulation" for the last 6 months, but now we are emerging and look forward to many more opportunities to mix and mingle with our beloved colleagues.

French Toast with sauteed plantains and hot maple syrup....yummmm

Stay tuned for more adventures with Jean and Jubilee, interspersed with updates about The Wedding University, January 31st at the Four Seasons Silicon Valley, and The Academy for Planners + Designers, March 14-16th, at the St. Regis San Francisco.